Departure and Weather
The pilot departed from runway 14 with winds from 150 degrees at 25 knots. Conditions included blowing dust and haze, no moonlight, and a high broken cloud layer. The departure route took the aircraft over sparsely populated cattle country with minimal lighting. Radar contact was lost 3 minutes after takeoff.
Witness Accounts
A witness who had flown with the pilot earlier that day reported that the pilot flew that entire trip on autopilot, engaging it at 2,500 feet MSL during the climb out to 8,000 feet. Additionally, witnesses at an FBO in Laredo stated that the pilot asked them for aspirin shortly before takeoff, but they did not have any.
Pilot History
The pilot, who had a total of 500 flight hours, purchased the aircraft in August 1995. He had acquired an estimated 45 hours of flight time in it and last flew it in late December 1995. According to FAA records, the pilot received a weather briefing and filed an IFR flight plan before departure.
Impact Details
The aircraft impacted the ground in an attitude of approximately 30 degrees nose low and a right bank of approximately 90 degrees.